Pa g e 8 Gho s t History of Eureka, Montana At the turn of the 20th Century the Tobacco Valley had scarcely been discovered by cattlemen and a few homesteaders. For centuries before it had been one of the main habitués of the Kutenai Indians. Although there were some minor incidents, for the most part the Kutenais settled peacefully on reservation land immediately north of the International Boundary. The Great Northern Railroad pushed through to the west coast in 1892, but they chose a route far south of Tobacco Plains country. In 1904 they rebuilt over a longer, but easier route through the Tobacco Valley and the town of Eureka was born. Prior to the coming of the railroad the only ways in were by an ancient Indian trail or a treacherous trip up the Kootenai River by sternwheeler boats. The railroad changed everything. Not only did it enable homesteaders to easily reach the valley, but it provided a means of exporting products. Some dreamed of producing various agricultural products. Others combed the mountains looking for minerals. But the only product that ever left the valley in profitable amounts was lumber. Founded in 1906, the Eureka Lumber Company thrived for the next 18 years. Initially they floated logs down the Tobacco River from logging camps around Trego and Fortine. When the easy to access timber along the river was exhausted they built a railroad up to Frank Lake around 1918. The coming of World War I coincided with growing labor problems with the loggers, river drivers, mill workers and lumber company officials. The IWW attempted to organize the workers and federal troops were called for in the spring of 1917 to protect infrastructure. Patriotic fervor blunted the IWW’s efforts to organize, though discord continued after the war until 1924 when the mill closed and the IWW was no longer a factor in the area’s economy. It was about this time that roads were built into the Tobacco Valley and people had another way to travel in and out. Some of the first to take advantage of these new roads were the rumrunners and bootleggers. With Eureka’s proximity to Canada where there was a readily available supply of alcohol and with homesteaders who were skilled in the making of moonshine, the era of prohibition contributed significantly to area history. Things quieted during the 1930s and the local economy became almost dormant. The coming of World War II saw many young men leave the peaceful little valley for once-in-a-lifetime advenT o w n s a n d Hi st o r y o f Mo n t a n a N e w s l e t t er
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